The field of the invention is fiber optics, and the invention relates more particularly to light bundles which include a plurality of light guides.
A device with a plurality of light guides is shown in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,036 where a plurality of light guides is shown in FIG. 2 where the light receiving ends are held together by a circular metallic sleeve. The individual light bundles are shown affixed to transparent tubes and used for lighting an art object. Assemblies of the general type shown in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,036 are useful for numerous display and other applications where individual beams of light are useful, particularly where the light source should provide a minimum of heat. One such application is in the display of art objects which are degraded by heat and ultraviolet light, both of which are essentially eliminated by a light guide.
One of the shortcomings of the type of bundle shown in the above-referenced patent is that the number of light guides is fixed, and if it is desired to change, for instance, a display and use a lesser or greater number of light bundles, this could not be done efficiently. Furthermore, the light bundles were typically supplied in identical lengths, and many times a particular use will require that there be longer and shorter bundles. Lastly, when light guides have circular light receiving ends which are rigid, there are gaps between adjacent light guides which waste a certain of amount of light which could otherwise be transmitted to the desired location.